Ball projector



June 17, 1941. H. E. WILLIAMS Erm.

BALLv PROJECTOR Filed Dec. 28, 1959 Patented June 17, 1941 UNETED BALL PROJECTOR Harry E. Williams and Lyndon A. Durant, Chicago, Ill.

Application December 28, 1939, Serial No. 311,250

6 Claims.

This invention relates to projecting means for use in ball playing apparatus, such for example as a bagatelle game.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of an improved projector which includes means having a traction surface for spinning a ball, and means for arresting the spinningL means abruptly so that the spinning ball will react and be projected out onto the playboard.

A further object is the provision of an adjustable guide for holding the ball during spinning movement and operable to direct the projection of a ball when it reacts consequent upon the arrest of spinning movement of the spinning means.

A still further object is the provision of control mechanism for starting and stopping the spinning means, and including automatic brake mechanism for effecting an abrupt stopping of the spinning means.

Other objects, advantages and novel aspects of the invention reside in certain details of construction as well as the cooperative relationship of the component parts of the illustrative embodiment described hereinafter in view of the annexed drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal section through a ball playing game employing the improved projecting means;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section through the projecting means as viewed along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the spinning mechanism and brake, including circuit connections therefor. y

In the illustrative embodiment of Fig. 1, the novel projecting means is incorporated in a ball game including a cabinet Ill and a horizontally inclined ball playing board II having its lowermost end disposed opposite the front wall of the cabinet, adjacent which the projecting mechanism, generally indicated at I2, is situated. On the playboard II are a plurality of objectives or targets I3 and I3a at which the playing balls are to be projected. 'Ihese targets may be objects to be struck by the balls or they may be the familiar ball receiving pockets in which the balls are lodged as in the usual bagatelle game.

The projecting means I2 includes a ball guide I5, pivoted as at I6, for movement in an approximately horizontal plane, the guide member including a handle portion I'I which projects through an opening I8 in the front wall of the cabinet so as to be accessible to the player in eiecting pivotal movement of the guide for the purpose of directing the ball selectively at various objectives or targets. At its inner end, the guide is slotted or channeled longitudinally to provide a ball receptacle I9 closed at its inner end 20 but open at its outer end 2| nearest the playboard. Projecting in opposite directions from the open end of the ball receptacle are a pair of blocking wings 22, opposite each of which are guide rails 23 directed convergently toward the receptacle so as to cause the ball I4 to gravitate into the receptacle from the upper regions of the playboard regardless of what position the guide may be in, the pivotal movement of the guide member being limited by abutment of opposite sides of the handle portion with the opposite margins of the opening I8. Thus, by way of example, the guide member I5 may be pivoted so as to align the ball receptacle I9 with the target I3 or I3a.

The actual projecting mechanism includes a rotatable ball spinning disc 25 (Figs. 1 and 2) provided with a traction surface 26, preferably in the form of a rubber cap, which is stretched onto the disc. The disc is mounted on the shaft 2I of a spinning means in the f orm of an electric motor 28 (Fig. 2) mounted beneathV the playboard II by bracket means 29, the. disc being mounted so that eccentric portions thereof underlie the ball I4 in receptacle I9, said underlying portions of the spinning means or disc pro, viding a supporting surface for the ball in receptacle I9. p

It is preferable that the ball receptacle I9 in the guide be designed so that the ball Will be in alignment with a radius from the shaft 2l of the motor, although this is not essential. When the motor is energized to drive the disc 25 in an anticlockwise direction (Fig. 1), that is, in a direction tending to carry the ball against the closed end 20 of the receptacle in the guide, the ball will tend to spin about a horizontal axis normal to the axis of shaft 2l, the closed end portion 20 of the guide preferably being metallic and smooth, so as to impede as little as possible the spinning movement of the ball. If the lspeed of rotation of the disc 25 ismoderately high, and if the ball I4 is a metal ball, for example, and therefore relatively heavy, considerable kinetic energy will be stored in the ball in its spinning movement, and if the disc 25 is suddenly stopped the reaction of the spinning ball against the traction surface 26 of the disc willcause the ball to be violently projected through the open end 2l of the guide receptacle.

Means for starting and stopping the Dspinning mechanism includes the provision of alswitchfll (Fig. 3 particularly) having a pair of common contacts 3| and 32 connected to one terminal 33 of a time switch whose other terminal 34 is connected to one side of a power source or battery 35, the remaining terminal of the battery being connected by a conductor 36 to one terminal of the spinning motor 28. The circuit to the motor is completed by a conductor 31 which is in turn connected to a companion contact 38 engageable with one of the common contacts 32. The switch 3B is mounted adjacent the front wall of the cabinet for operation by a push button 39 eiiec j tive to engage contact 32 with contact 38 and connect power to the motor, provided the time Y switch contacts 33 and 34 are first closed. 'Any means may be provided for operating the timeA switch, the preferred arrangement of Fig.` 1 indirected at some kind of objective or target.

cluding an operating member 33a positioned toV i be engaged by the inner end of a master control in the form of a coin slide 4|), it being necessary to deposit a coin in the latter in order to free the same for operation in the well known manner to operate the time switch and close contacts 33 and 34, the time switch including a known type of mechanism for opening these contacts at the conclusion of a predetermined period of time.

Means for effecting an abrupt stop of the spinning means includes the provision of brake mechanism (Figs. 2 and 3) employing a small fly wheel 4| at the bottom of shaft 21 and a brake band 42 fixed at one end 43 and passing partly around the periphery of the wheel, with the opposite end 44 engaged with the plunger 45 of a solenoid 46. A spring 41 normally retracts the plunger so as to pull the brake band 42 against the wheel 4| to brake or-stop the motor. The brake is released during spinning operation of the motor by circuit connections controlled by the switch 3i), these circuit connections including a conductor 48 leading from one terminal of the solenoid to one terminal of battery 35, and a conductor 49 leading from the other terminal of the solenoid to a contact 50 on switch 30, this contact being engaged by the common contact 3|, when button 33 is depressed, to energize the f solenoid land release the tension on the brake band' 42, so that the motor may spin freely.

In the operation of the device, the player actuates the master control 40, actuating the time switch operating lever 33a to connect power with the main control switch 3D. At this-time, the ball |4 is disposed in the receptacle I9 of the directing or guide means, and the player may then grasp the handle and aim the open end portion 2| of the guide at the target |3a, for example, and being satised with the aim, he may then press button 39 operating switch 30 to re lease the brake means 4|-42 and start motor 28. `If desired, the player may operate the switch button 39 first and then adjust the guide to project the ball at a particular target or objective, this being a matter of choice.

Energization of motor 28 will spin the disc'25, which in turn will spin the ball I4 in the guide, and when the player is satisfied that the ball has gained adequate momentum he may release theV button 39; thus simultaneously cutting off the power to the motor and applying therbrake 42, abruptly halting the spinning disc or means`25, in consequence of which the rapidly spinning ball grabs onto the traction surface 26 and is abruptly projected from the guide at the target. After the ball has spent its energy on the inclined playboard (assuming that it has not become lodgedlin any 4of the various pockets or The various advantages and objects of the invention may be accomplished by modifications of the particular embodiment specically described herein, and it is intended that the appended claims shall include all equivalent arrangements fairly coming within their call.

Having thus described our invention, what we i claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Projecting means for use in apparatus of the class described, said means comprising a traction member mounted for rotation in a horizontal plane, means for rotating said member, means for starting and stopping said rotating means, and means for positioning a ball on said traction member while the latter is rotating to impart spinning movement to the ball and for permitting escape of said ball therefrom as a result of reaction of the ball on said traction member when the latter is stopped.

2. Projection means for use in apparatus of the class described including a ball playing board, said means comprising a rotatably mounted member provided with a traction surface mounted to lrotate in a horizontal plane at the level of said playboard, means for driving said rotatably mounted member, means for starting and stopping said driving means, a ball guiding member having an open bottom above said traction surface so that a ball therein will rest on said surface, and an open end through which the ball may pass in a direction in opposition to the direction of movement of said rotatably mounted member, a ball in said guide member being set spinning by action of said rotatably mounted member, said ball when spinning reacting against said traction surface and being projected out said open end of the guide onto said playboard when said rotatably mounted member is stopped.

3. Projection means for use in apparatus of the class described including a ball playing board, said means comprising a rotatably mounted member provided with a traction surface mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane at the level of said playboard, means for `driving said rotatably mounted member, means for starting and stopping said driving means, a ball Aguiding member having'an open bottom above said traction surfaceso that a ball therein `will rest on said surface, and an `open' end through which the ball may pass "in a `direction in ,opposition to the directio'n vof movement of said rotatably mounted member;l a ball in 'said guide member being set spinning by actlongof said-rotatably mounted member@ said bail when spinningv reacting againstl vsaid traction surfaceY and 4being projected out s'aid -cpen end of the guide onto said playboardi whenjsaid rotatably mounted member is stopped, s aid guide member being movable to adjustfthe positionof said open end thereof relative to-sajldjplayboard, whereby said ball may be selectively directed onto the latter.

4. Projection means for use in apparatus of the class described including a ball playing board, said means comprising a rotatably mounted member provided with a traction surface mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane at the level of said playboard, means for driving said rotatably mounted member, means for starting and stopping said driving means, a ball guiding member having an open bottom above said traction surface so that a ball therein will rest on said surface, and an open end through which the ball may pass in a direction in opposition to the direction of movement of said rotatably mounted member, a ball in said guide member being set spinning by action of said rotatably mounted member, said ball when spinning reacting against said traction surface and being projected out said open end of the guide onto said playboard when said rotatably mounted member is stopped, and brake means actuated cooperably with said starting and stopping means for effecting quick stoppage of said driving means when said starting and stopping means is actuated to stop the rotatably mounted member.

5. In amusement apparatus of the class described including a ball playing board, ball projecting means comprising a ball guide mounted for pivotal movement in a plane approximately `allel with and above said playboard, said guidbailngalball receptacle with an open bottom above said playboard and an adjoining open end leading onto the playboard, means for spinning a ball in said receptacle, said means comprising a disc arranged for rotation beneath said open bottom of the receptacle substantially ush with said playboard, said disc having a traction surface, electric motor means for spinning said disc in a direction generally inward of said receptacle from the open end thereof, whereby a ball in the receptacle will be set spinning, and manually controlled switch means for connecting and disconnecting power to said motor means,

the spinning ball reacting with said traction surface and being projected through said open end of the receptacle when the spinning motion of said disc is decelerated relative to the spinning movement of the ball, said guide being adapted to direct the projection of the ball onto said playboard.

6. In amusement apparatus of the class described including a ball playing board, ball projecting means comprising a ball guide mounted for pivotal movement in a plane approximately parallel with and above said playboard, said guide having a ball receptacle with an open bottom above said playboard and an adjoining open end leading onto the playboard, means for spinning a ball in said receptacle, said means comprising a disc arranged for rotation beneath said open bottom of the receptacle substantially flush .disc in a direction generally inward of said receptacle from the open end thereof, whereby a ball in the receptacle will be set spinning, and

, manually controlled switch means for connecting and disconnecting power to said motor means,

the spinning ball reacting with said traction surface and being projected through said open end of the receptacle when the spinning motion of said disc is decelerated relative to the spinning movement of the ball, said guide being adapted to direct the projection of the ball onto said playboard, and means for eiecting abrupt stoppage of said disc when said power is disconnected, said means including an electrically controlled brake for said motor means and circuit connections for said brake actuated coopera-bly with said firstmentioned switch means to eiect application of said brake and stop said motor means when power is disconnected from the latter.

HARRY E. WILLIAMS. LYNDON A. DURANT. 

